Subject: [lojban] Re: Aesthetics

From: "Craig" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2002 15:49:23 -0500

>> >> >> Presumably And was indending to replace them with another letter?
>> >>
>> >> >Like and H or a Q, possibly pronounced like "theta"?
>> >>
>> >> This would be useful in, eg, translating Twain - it allows us to spell
out
>> >> alternative pronunciations. But in normal writing, it would only be
>> >> divisive; I dislike h for ' because [h] is not an optimal
pronunciation and
>> >> /h/ pronounced [T] is just crazy.
>>
>> >Why is [h] not an optimal pronunciation for '? (Yes I know the
>> >title of the thread is 'aesthetics', but you seem to be implying
>> >there's some kind of reason).
>>
>> Because there is a greater phonic contrast between [T] and [f] or [s]
than
>> between [h] and [x].

>I disagree. To me, [s] sounds almost like [T]. But [x] and [h]
>sound *totally* different.

So, for your ear, [h] is better than [s]. I guess I was a bit naive to
assume that everyone would be like me.
I thus correct that statement:
Because there is a greater phonic contrast between [T] and [f] or [s] than
between [h] and [x], to me.

Are we agreed that if you can actually say it, the lateral pronunciation
would be more distinct?

>This line of reasoning is bogus anyway though; languages can divide
>their sounds however they want.

Yes, but planned languages, which want to maximize their potential speaker
base, should allow their speakers to make the sounds maximally distinct. It
is for this reason that I applaud Lojban's multiple ' sounds, and oppose the
use of h for '.

Besides, ' capitalizes to h (eg in selma'o names). I think I'll start
capitalizing all my ns, and watch the complaints roll in. I use a [N]
pronunciation in many cases anyway...

--la kreig.daNiyl.

'segu le balvi temci gi mi'o reNvi lo purci
.i ga le foNxa jaNbe gi du mi'
-la djimis.BYFet

pygypy gubmau ckiku Nacycme: 0x22C68020